One Bad Apple

One Bad Apple
Season №:	3
Season episode №:	4
Overall episode №:	56
Original airdate:	November 24, 2012
Written by:	Cindy Morrow
Storyboard:	Sherann Johnson and Emmett Hall Song: Emmett Hall[1]
Featured characters:	Babs Seed
Song:	Babs Seed
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Too Many Pinkie Pies	Next Magic Duel

One Bad Apple is the fourth episode of the third season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the fifty-sixth episode overall. The title is a reference to the proverb, "One bad apple spoils the bunch", which was previously said by Granny Smith in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.

In this episode, Babs Seed visits Ponyville and Apple Bloom wants her to be a Crusader; but things take a turn for the worse when Babs decides to join Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon instead.

Production and development

On July 19, 2012, the show's composer, William Anderson, released a photo of himself with a screen displaying the Cutie Mark Crusaders with the time-code "01:03:22:21" and the production code "mlp_304_032b_000" at the corners of the screen.^[2]

On October 18, 2012, EW.com published an article stating that an upcoming installment of the show deals with the issue of bullying, quoting show head writer Meghan McCarthy that "[It] explores how you should handle a bully, and sometimes what the source of bullying is," and that "It's wrapped in a story that's really fun and funny, and has music, and doesn't feel heavy-handed."^[3]

Cindy Morrow, the writer of the episode, revealed that the original working title for the episode was "Bully For You".^[4][5]

The version of the episode shown on Hasbro.com includes a brief additional sequence at the beginning of the episode. During this sequence, the following text is displayed:

Series Title: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Hub Episode #: 304

Hasbro Production #: 403-304

Episode Title: One Bad Apple

TRT: 22:15 DF (22:13:16 23.98fps)

Date: August 09, 2012

Aspect: 16:9 1080p 23.98

Chs 1-6: 5.1 Full Mix

Chs 7-8: Full Mix

Chs 9-10: Dialogue Mix

Chs 11-12: M&E Mix

Textless @: 1:23:13:16

Then a testcard is very briefly shown, and the episode subsequently begins.^[6][7]

Summary

A new arrival

The episode starts out in Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom worrying about what to wear to pick up her cousin, Babs Seed, at the train station. As time passes by, Apple Bloom starts overreacting and keeps trying on more outfits; finally Applejack tries to drag her along out of the house and to the train station. Apple Bloom, however, manages to escape and continues to search for the right outfit. Then, Applejack states that both Apple Bloom and Babs have something in common; neither pony has a cutie mark. As soon as she hears that, Apple Bloom rushes out of the house to have Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo welcome Babs Seed together with her.

Apple Bloom brings along Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to try and persuade Babs Seed to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders. When Babs arrives at the train station, Apple Bloom rushes up to her and introduces herself and the other members of the CMC. Babs looks overwhelmed and nervous. Scootaloo tells her that they have a big surprise for her, and covers Babs' eyes with her hooves. Later, she takes them away to reveal the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo act out the "highlights" in the clubhouse while Apple Bloom narrates the tour, Babs following along.

A bad seed

"More like the Cutie Mahk Crybabies!'"

— Babs Seed

Despite the CMC's efforts, Babs seems unimpressed. In an attempt to convince her to join, Scootaloo decides to show Babs the exceptional float they made for the Summer Harvest Parade. Unfortunately, just as Babs is about to say something, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon intervene, describing the float as "funny looking" and call the float a "lamekin." The two keep berating the CMC until they cast their eyes upon Babs. Diamond Tiara nudges Silver Spoon, who peers at Babs over the top of her glasses and asks, "Who's the new blank flank?" Apple Bloom immediately comes to Babs' aide. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon then heckle Babs, asking her if she's going to join the CMC's club. Babs thinks for a minute before she decides to join Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, abandoning the CMC. Babs then takes the initiative to destroy the CMC's float by kicking off the front wheel. The float rolls out of the barn and down a hill and is smashed to pieces. Babs coolly remarks, "Looks like somepony's pumpkin just got squashed!" and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laugh.

Recognizing Babs as a bully, Sweetie Belle suggests they tell Applejack. However, with Babs threatening retribution if they do so, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom think otherwise. After a song presenting the many different situations where Babs victimizes the Crusaders, the CMC return to the clubhouse. Upon discovering that Babs, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon have occupied the clubhouse, Sweetie Belle bursts into tears.

Once again, Sweetie Belle suggests they talk to Applejack, but Apple Bloom diverts this by saying they need to fight back. She plots that they should make Babs the guest of honor at the Summer Harvest Parade. In order to do so, they secretly make a booby-trapped float the night before. Working in the small hours of the morning, they cover the basic frame of a float with paper taken from Carousel Boutique and cover the apple-shaped float with luster dust, a golden powder intended for use in cake decorating.

The Summer Harvest Parade

As the Cutie Mark Crusaders are preparing to ride the float in the parade, Babs Seed, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon come up to them. Babs is immediately blown away by the large golden apple float. Sweetie Belle asks, "Isn't it smashing?" Realizing that the word "smashing" could invoke violence, she begins stuttering, but Scootaloo cuts her off. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon roll their eyes and walk away. Scootaloo warns Babs, telling her not to even think about riding the float, and that she had her chance. Apple Bloom elbows Sweetie Belle, and she leaps into the float to hit the switch to turn it on.

After turning the float on, Sweetie Belle sets the kitchen timer with a devious grin. As she is doing that, Apple Bloom drags a mattress and positions it next to the float. Babs sees this as an opportunity to take the float, which she does. She shoves the CMC out of the way as they prepare to step into the float. She yells, "See ya later, Cutie Mark Crybabies!" and drives off. The CMC get up declaring that stealing the rigged float will teach her to not mess with the CMC. Suddenly Applejack appears, delighted that the CMC are letting Babs ride the float. Apple Bloom agrees, stating that they thought she should be the center of attention. Applejack praises them for their "good" deed and making Babs feel special after all of the heartache she had in Manehattan. The CMC, who are in anticipation of the upcoming disaster, stop, wide eyed. Applejack explains that she didn't say anything before because she didn't want to single out Babs. She then goes on, explaining that Babs had been getting teased constantly for her blank flank, and that she came to the farm to "get away from all of her problems back home." At that, the CMC wilt with a guilty look on their faces. Applejack hands them colorful balloons, then praises them one more time for their "good deed" before walking away. The CMC then realize that Babs was bullying them only to avoid being bullied herself like she was in Manehattan. Desperately, the CMC try to find a way to stop the float from tumbling off the edge of the nearby cliff. They rush over to Applejack, and try to explain what they did, but their voices are drowned out by passing instruments in the parade.

By riding on Pinkie Pie's lettuce float, the CMC gather up enough speed to catch up to the golden apple float before it descends down the cliff and into muddy water. Scootaloo saves Babs by pushing her out of the driver's seat of the float, and the CMC end up falling into the mud at the base of the cliff instead.

Reconciliation

When the CMC are washing mud off themselves back at Sweet Apple Acres, Babs expresses her astonishment that the CMC saved her. The CMC regretfully explain how they booby trapped the float in order to get back at her, and became bullies themselves in the process. The CMC and Babs apologize to each other and resolve to "start over." The scene changes to the clubhouse, where Sweetie Belle is reading from a scroll on a podium. The CMC swear in Babs as a new member of their club. Before returning to Manehattan, Babs promises to tell her big sister about her own bullies and to start a Manehattan branch of the CMC. When Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon come around, she revokes their friendship in defense of the CMC, exclaiming, "That's not how you talk to my friends!" She then threatens to tell Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's mothers about their attitudes. They fearfully back away and fall in the mud. Babs then gets on the train and departs from Ponyville to her home.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Sweetie Belle: I'm just so excited I could burst!

Apple Bloom: What... just happened?

Scootaloo: I think Babs just went to the dark side.

Sweetie Belle: We have to tell Applejack!

Apple Bloom: No! We're not snitches!

Scootaloo: Yeah, and we're not babies!

Sweetie Belle: Then... why do I feel like crying?

Scootaloo: Pinkie Pie, let us in! (Lettuce in)

Pinkie Pie: [laughs] Funny joke!

Apple Bloom: No, really! Let- us- in!

Pinkie Pie: Ohhh! Here!

Pinkie Pie: Veggie salad!

Apple Bloom: Huh?

Pinkie Pie: Veggie salad!

[Crash!]

Pinkie Pie: Veggie salad.

Apple Bloom: Seriously?

Pinkie Pie: Hey! Don't leave me! [laughs] Leaf me! [laughs]

Sweetie Belle: And we figured out you were just doing it to avoid getting picked on in Ponyville. But, by then... we were the ones being bullies. And... Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?!

Sweetie Belle: "We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Babs Seed to join us as a sister, friend, confidaynte, alley, boss-om buddy, gal pal, compader, chum of chums..."

Scootaloo: [clears throat]

Sweetie Belle: Well you wrote this.

Scootaloo: Oh, uh, yeah...

Sweetie Belle: "Homegirl... Amiga..." Blah blah blah blah blah. Oh, yes, here. "...and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader! You are solemnly sworn in, here this day, in witness of your fellow sisters, friends, confidantes... boss-om buddies... compadres..."

Scootaloo: Congratulations! [quickly, under her breath] Gotta remember to revise that.

Sweetie Belle: Sure gonna miss that bad seed.

Applejack: Bad seed? I thought y'all were friends now?

Sweetie Belle: No, see, first we called her 'bad seed' as in actually a bad seed, but now she's bad as in good. Get it?

Applejack: Yea- no.

Cutie Mark Crusaders: [laughing]

Gallery

One Bad Apple image gallery

References

1. ↑ Raven Molisee (2012-11-25). MLP # 304: One Bad Apple. Retrieved on 2012 November 25.
2. ↑ William Anderson (2012-07-19). MLP FIM Poster. Retrieved on 2012 October 28.
3. ↑ Hillary Busis (2012-10-18). Attention, all bronies! Exclusive scoop on 'My Little Pony' season 3, which premieres on.... EW.com. Retrieved on 2012 November 2.
4. ↑ Everfree Radio. Bronies for Good Charity Livestream - Lauren Faust, Amy Keating Rogers, Cindy Morrow.... Retrieved on 2013 January 14.
5. ↑ Cindy Morrow via Twitter. Retrieved on 2013 March 15.
6. ↑ 2014-My Little Pony. Retrieved on 2015 March 1.
7. ↑ Videos. Hasbro. Retrieved on 2015 March 1.

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Season one
Episode 1 Friendship is Magic, part 1	Episode 2 Friendship is Magic, part 2	Episode 3 The Ticket Master	Episode 4 Applebuck Season
Episode 5 Griffon the Brush Off	Episode 6 Boast Busters	Episode 7 Dragonshy	Episode 8 Look Before You Sleep
Episode 9 Bridle Gossip	Episode 10 Swarm of the Century	Episode 11 Winter Wrap Up	Episode 12 Call of the Cutie
Episode 13 Fall Weather Friends	Episode 14 Suited For Success	Episode 15 Feeling Pinkie Keen	Episode 16 Sonic Rainboom
Episode 17 Stare Master	Episode 18 The Show Stoppers	Episode 19 A Dog and Pony Show	Episode 20 Green Isn't Your Color
Episode 21 Over a Barrel	Episode 22 A Bird in the Hoof	Episode 23 The Cutie Mark Chronicles	Episode 24 Owl's Well That Ends Well
	Episode 25 Party of One	Episode 26 The Best Night Ever

Season two
Episode 1 The Return of Harmony Part 1	Episode 2 The Return of Harmony Part 2	Episode 3 Lesson Zero	Episode 4 Luna Eclipsed
Episode 5 Sisterhooves Social	Episode 6 The Cutie Pox	Episode 7 May the Best Pet Win!	Episode 8 The Mysterious Mare Do Well
Episode 9 Sweet and Elite	Episode 10 Secret of My Excess	Episode 11 Hearth's Warming Eve	Episode 12 Family Appreciation Day
Episode 13 Baby Cakes	Episode 14 The Last Roundup	Episode 15 The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000	Episode 16 Read It and Weep
Episode 17 Hearts and Hooves Day	Episode 18 A Friend in Deed	Episode 19 Putting Your Hoof Down	Episode 20 It's About Time
Episode 21 Dragon Quest	Episode 22 Hurricane Fluttershy	Episode 23 Ponyville Confidential	Episode 24 MMMystery on the Friendship Express
	Episode 25 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1	Episode 26 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Season three
Episode 1 The Crystal Empire - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystal Empire - Part 2	Episode 3 Too Many Pinkie Pies	Episode 4 One Bad Apple
Episode 5 Magic Duel	Episode 6 Sleepless in Ponyville	Episode 7 Wonderbolts Academy	Episode 8 Apple Family Reunion
Episode 9 Spike at Your Service	Episode 10 Keep Calm and Flutter On	Episode 11 Just for Sidekicks	Episode 12 Games Ponies Play
Episode 13 Magical Mystery Cure

Season four
Episode 1 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1	Episode 2 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Mane-ia	Episode 4 Daring Don't
Episode 5 Flight to the Finish	Episode 6 Power Ponies	Episode 7 Bats!	Episode 8 Rarity Takes Manehattan
Episode 9 Pinkie Apple Pie	Episode 10 Rainbow Falls	Episode 11 Three's A Crowd	Episode 12 Pinkie Pride
Episode 13 Simple Ways	Episode 14 Filli Vanilli	Episode 15 Twilight Time	Episode 16 It Ain't Easy Being Breezies
Episode 17 Somepony to Watch Over Me	Episode 18 Maud Pie	Episode 19 For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils	Episode 20 Leap of Faith
Episode 21 Testing Testing 1, 2, 3	Episode 22 Trade Ya!	Episode 23 Inspiration Manifestation	Episode 24 Equestria Games
	Episode 25 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1	Episode 26 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

Season five
Episode 1 The Cutie Map - Part 1	Episode 2 The Cutie Map - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Sweet Castle	Episode 4 Bloom & Gloom
Episode 5 Tanks for the Memories	Episode 6 Appleoosa's Most Wanted	Episode 7 Make New Friends but Keep Discord	Episode 8 The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Episode 9 Slice of Life	Episode 10 Princess Spike	Episode 11 Party Pooped	Episode 12 Amending Fences
Episode 13 Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?	Episode 14 Canterlot Boutique	Episode 15 Rarity Investigates!	Episode 16 Made in Manehattan
Episode 17 Brotherhooves Social	Episode 18 Crusaders of the Lost Mark	Episode 19 The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows	Episode 20 Hearthbreakers
Episode 21 Scare Master	Episode 22 What About Discord?	Episode 23 The Hooffields and McColts	Episode 24 The Mane Attraction
	Episode 25 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1	Episode 26 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2

Season six
Episode 1 The Crystalling - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystalling - Part 2	Episode 3 The Gift of the Maud Pie	Episode 4 On Your Marks
Episode 5 Gauntlet of Fire	Episode 6 No Second Prances	Episode 7 Newbie Dash	Episode 8 A Hearth's Warming Tail
Episode 9 The Saddle Row Review	Episode 10 Applejack's "Day" Off	Episode 11 Flutter Brutter	Episode 12 Spice Up Your Life
Episode 13 Stranger Than Fan Fiction	Episode 14 The Cart Before the Ponies	Episode 15 28 Pranks Later	Episode 16 The Times They Are A Changeling
Episode 17 Dungeons & Discords	Episode 18 Buckball Season	Episode 19 The Fault in Our Cutie Marks	Episode 20 Viva Las Pegasus
Episode 21 Every Little Thing She Does	Episode 22 P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)	Episode 23 Where the Apple Lies	Episode 24 Top Bolt
	Episode 25 To Where and Back Again - Part 1	Episode 26 To Where and Back Again - Part 2

Season seven
Episode 1 Celestial Advice	Episode 2 All Bottled Up	Episode 3 A Flurry of Emotions	Episode 4 Rock Solid Friendship
Episode 5 Fluttershy Leans In	Episode 6 Forever Filly	Episode 7 Parental Glideance	Episode 8 Hard to Say Anything
Episode 9 Honest Apple	Episode 10 A Royal Problem	Episode 11 Not Asking for Trouble	Episode 12 Discordant Harmony
Episode 13 The Perfect Pear	Episode 14 Fame and Misfortune	Episode 15 Triple Threat	Episode 16 Campfire Tales
Episode 17 To Change a Changeling	Episode 18 Daring Done?	Episode 19 It Isn't the Mane Thing About You	Episode 20 A Health of Information
Episode 21 Marks and Recreation	Episode 22 Once Upon a Zeppelin	Episode 23 Secrets and Pies	Episode 24 Uncommon Bond
	Episode 25 Shadow Play - Part 1	Episode 26 Shadow Play - Part 2

Season eight
Episode 1 School Daze - Part 1	Episode 2 School Daze - Part 2	Episode 3 The Maud Couple	Episode 4 Fake It 'Til You Make It
Episode 5 Grannies Gone Wild	Episode 6 Surf and/or Turf	Episode 7 Horse Play	Episode 8 The Parent Map
Episode 9 Non-Compete Clause	Episode 10 The Break Up Break Down	Episode 11 Molt Down	Episode 12 Marks for Effort
Episode 13 The Mean 6	Episode 14 A Matter of Principals	Episode 15 The Hearth's Warming Club	Episode 16 Friendship University
Episode 17 The End in Friend	Episode 18 Yakity-Sax	Episode 19 Road to Friendship	Episode 20 The Washouts
Episode 21 A Rockhoof and a Hard Place	Episode 22 What Lies Beneath	Episode 23 Sounds of Silence	Episode 24 Father Knows Beast
	Episode 25 School Raze - Part 1	Episode 26 School Raze - Part 2

Season nine
Episode 1 The Beginning of the End - Part 1	Episode 2 The Beginning of the End - Part 2	Episode 3 Uprooted	Episode 4 Sparkle's Seven
Episode 5 The Point of No Return	Episode 6 Common Ground	Episode 7 She's All Yak	Episode 8 Frenemies
Episode 9 Sweet and Smoky	Episode 10 Going to Seed	Episode 11 Student Counsel	Episode 12 The Last Crusade
Episode 13 Between Dark and Dawn	Episode 14 The Last Laugh	Episode 15 2, 4, 6, Greaaat	Episode 16 A Trivial Pursuit
Episode 17 The Summer Sun Setback	Episode 18 She Talks to Angel	Episode 19 Dragon Dropped	Episode 20 A Horse Shoe-In
Episode 21 Daring Doubt	Episode 22 Growing Up is Hard to Do	Episode 23 The Big Mac Question	Episode 24 The Ending of the End - Part 1
	Episode 25 The Ending of the End - Part 2	Episode 26 The Last Problem

Feature films
Equestria Girls	Rainbow Rocks	Friendship Games	Legend of Everfree
My Little Pony The Movie

Specials
Dance Magic	Movie Magic	Mirror Magic	Forgotten Friendship
Rollercoaster of Friendship	Best Gift Ever	Spring Breakdown	Rainbow Roadtrip
	Sunset's Backstage Pass	Holidays Unwrapped

Animated shorts
Rainbow Rocks shorts	Friendship Games shorts	Summertime Shorts	Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 1)
Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 2)	Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending (season 1)	Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending (season 2)	Equestria Girls Minis
Baby Flurry Heart's Heartfelt Scrapbook	Rarity's Peek Behind the Boutique	Fundamentals of Magic	My Little Pony Established 1983
	Friendship is Magic shorts	Hello Pinkie Pie